he World Cup with Portugal was the biggest dream, and the most ambitious in my career ... Unfortunately this dream ended yesterday."

As he bids farewell to his international career with his country, Ronaldo said the dream of winning the World Cup "has been beautiful all the way" and that he "fought hard" for it.

"I did my best on the pitch, I never refused to fight and I never gave up on that dream," he noted.

Ronaldo appeared in the World Cup for the fifth time, but he came off the bench against Morocco, as did against Switzerland in the round of sixteen.

There has been speculation that Portugal coach Fernando Santos will punish Ronaldo for his misconduct when substituted during the clash with South Korea.

Santos denied the speculation and suggested his decision was in the best interest of the team.

Ronaldo stressed that his devotion to the national team "has not changed even for a moment, I have always been just someone else fighting for our goal, I will never turn my back on my teammates and my nation."